Chantry House returned to action with a bloodless win in the John O'Leary Memorial Future Stars Intermediate Chase at Sandown.
A Grade One winner at both Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring, he faced only one rival at the Esher track and was always jumping better than The Big Breakaway.
He was in control by the Railway Fences and impressed with his fencing throughout, Nico De Boinville having the luxury of easing him down soon after the last to give the jockey and Nicky Henderson a fourth win in this race in the last five years by 37 lengths.
Bookmaker reaction was swift, the sponsors cutting him to 10/1 from 12s for the Betfair Chase at Haydock and 6/1 from 7s for the King George. Sky Bet are the same price for the Kempton feature but 8/1 for the Betfair, 9s from 10s for the Cheltennham Gold Cup and 12/1 from 14/1 for the Ryanair Chase.
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Nicky Henderson Chantry House reaction
Henderson said: “I’m glad it is over as you know what these things are like. We think he is a good horse and he had a great time last season but the next season is a big step up. He has beaten all the novices but now he has to beat the big boys. These races are made to give these youngsters a chance to breakthrough. He hasn’t broken through any barriers there but the other horse was a good fellow and he has done everything we wanted him to today.
“He is not a flashy horse so he would give you the impression he isn’t doing a lot at home. When they have got that sort ability how fit do they get themselves.
“What he has done now is prove that he stays three miles. His jumping was lovely. I know it didn’t prove a lot but Colin’s horses are running well.”
Assessing future plans Henderson hinted that the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day is likely to be next on the agenda.
Henderson continued: “I think that (King George) is what we are thinking about but I’d like to talk to JP, who is sadly not here today as this race was run in memory of John O’Leary. What else do you do but it (King George) seems the natural thing to do at the moment. What he has done now is prove that he stays three miles.
“I was helping support their lunch today and JP was a great mate of John O’Leary and the race was named after him so that gives me special pleasure winning it.”
Victory in the race was a fifth for jockey Nico de Boinville, who aside from partnering all of Henderson’s previous four winners, also landed the 2015 renewal aboard the Mark Bradstock-trained Coneygree.
De Boinville impressed by winner
Like Henderson the Grade One-winning rider was delighted with the jumping display Chantry House put in on his return. He saud said: “I’m really happy as a nice clear round was what we wanted today. He saw it out well. It is not easy in these cat and mouse races as jockeys and it is one of the harder things you have to do but it all went to plan in the end.
“To be fair the lad who rides him every day Dave Fehily, who has ridden a lot of the good horses of ours down the years, has done a cracking job with him. I sat on him for the first time this week and gave him a school and worked him and he was ready to come today. That was a good starting point.
“It is a great jumping test around here and it is great fun when you are on a good one around here. It was good how he went through the race. He had to do all the donkey work today and with a bit of a lead you might think it could eke out a bit more improvement.”
Newbury next for Breakaway
Tizzard confirmed that an outing in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury later this month is unlikely for The Big Breakaway following his latest display.
He added: “I thought he would be able to travel into the race a lot longer but he was beat jumping the railway fences. I don’t think that performance is good enough to go to the Ladbrokes Trophy. I think we will go back to the drawing board.”